


After the war

by Cate_K1812



Series: Voltron ever after - a happy future for everyone [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cookies, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Hunk's Cookies, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Keith (Voltron) Backstory, Love Confessions, M/M, Past, Post-Season/Series 07 Finale, The Beginning, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 10:29:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17660972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cate_K1812/pseuds/Cate_K1812
Summary: The attack of the unknow robeast lies back three days. Lance feels fine and ist so happy to see all of his family again. But when Veronica tells him, that Keith awoke from a coma just this morning, Lance becomes extremely worried about his leader and friend and eventually dicovers feelings fom him greater than friendship





	After the war

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! Finaly the next part. I know it's been two weeks since the cliffhanger episode, but here's the promised Klance-fic. 
> 
> I've already finished the parts 7 to 10 and I'm going to post them as soon as my beta is through with them ^^.
> 
> Of course thanks to my awesome beta who puts up with all my shit: bev_crusher1971.
> 
> The PiT of this story: Right after season finally of season 7 (therefore, chronologically the first one to go.)

Rachel left the room as the last of Lance’s family members. Now the red Paladin and Veronica were alone.

“Good to have you back.” she said, “Finally all of this is over.”

“Yes.” breathed Lance, “It’s over. For now at least. It’s just a matter of time until Commander Holt and the others find out where this robeast came from.”

Veronica nodded in silence and they both stayed quiet for a couple of minutes.

“How are the others?” Lance asked after a while.

“Fine, as far as I can tell.” she answered, “Hunk got the least damage because of the yellow lions armor. Pidge already plays video games again, Allura has called in with Shiro and talked about the robeast. I think she’s unable to do nothing.”

Lance chuckled and agreed with her.

“And Keith finally awoke this morning,” she added.

His laughter died out and he looked up at her. “What? What do you mean, this morning?”

“Right, no one told you yet.” Veronica said, “I didn’t want you to worry, but Keith was comatose for the last two days. He had several injuries, some partially fractured rips and internal bleeding. But he’s out of the woods now. So everything’s fine.”

Lance pushed away his blanket and stood up, just to stagger back down onto the bed.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Veronica asked him and held him by the shoulders.

“I have to go look for Keith!” he replied and sounded surprisingly aggressive and determined.

“You should rest.” she told him, “It was a hard fight.”

Lance let his gaze sink down and tried to think of a logical reason to go see Keith. But he didn’t find a logical one, instead he found several emotional reasons. He was relieved to hear that Keith was fine, but worried at the same time, thinking about what had happened to him and he was angry that no one had told him about his friend’s condition.

“I have to go.” Lance repeated, “Keith is… our leader and my friend. He’s a part of our family. I have to know how he is feeling.”

Veronica sighed and let go of her brother, “Alright. Get up, I’ll get you their.”

Lance stood up and Veronica walked him to the door and down the hall a couple of rooms. Veronica knocked, but Lance didn’t care and entered anyway. On the bed sat Keith, shirtless. Around his head was a bandage and on his belly was a big patch. In front of Keith stood a doctor and a nurse. Krolia and Kosmo stood in a corner of the room and waited.

“Lance?” Keith asked, “Did something happen?”

“Lance, your timing is bad.” Krolia said from the back.

But the doctor laughed, “No, no. It’s fine. We’re done. Have a nice day, Mr Kogane.”

The doctor and the nurse left. Lance hadn’t said a word yet. He was just staring at Keith, leaning against the door frame.

“Lance?” Keith asked after putting his shirt back on, “What’s the matter?”

Veronica met Krolia’s gaze and the galra said, “Veronica, right?” She nodded and Krolia continued, “I want to ask you something outside. Come on, Kosmo.”

She took Veronica outside with her and the door closed behind them.

“Lance?” Keith asked once more and he sounded worried.

Lance moved to the bed, put a knee onto it and looped his arms around Keith, pulling him into a hug. Keith was surprised. He hadn’t seen this coming and didn’t really know how to react. Lance was hugging him. Close. Keith would have had trouble not to blush, if it wasn’t for the slight pain in his torso.

After a moment he breathed, “Lance, you-”

“No one told me you were comatose.” Lance said in a whine voice and pressed him even closer, “I would have been here earlier if I knew.”

Finally Keith hugged him back, but very hesitatingly and cautiously and he couldn’t stop himself from blushing.

“Lance, this hurts.” he was finally able to mutter.

Almost immediately the young man let go and sat back onto the bed, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine.” Keith replied, “In a couple of minutes comes a nurse and brings me some painkillers. The doc just told me about all my injuries. I don’t even wanna know how I would feel without painkillers.” He noticed the concern in Lance’s eyes and added, “Don’t worry. They said I’m going to recover completely. I don’t even remember anything.”

“You think that makes it better?!” Lance shouted and Keith jerked back, scared. “Eh… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to shout at you. It’s just… When Veronica told me you just woke up this morning, I was shocked and angry that no one told me about your conditions”

Keith reached out for Lance. He wanted to stroke over his cheek, but decided otherwise and put his hand down on Lance’s.

“Everything’s fine.” Keith repeated, “Believe me. I stay here now, I won’t go anywhere.”

The younger man looked him in the eyes and sighed, “I hope so. Who am I going to make fun of when you’re gone?”

Keith chucked and leaned back against his pillows. His chest and stomach hurt a little when he laughed and he was still tired, even though he slept for two days straight.

“You’re alright?” Lance asked, “I can leave if you want.”

“No, stay.” he said, “Tell me what you did the past days.”

Lance smiled a shy smile and started to talk about the last days, “I slept most of the first day. Only ate a little and did some check ups with the doctors. Yesterday my family visited me. My niece and nephew grew up so fast. They’re already eight and eleven. Can you believe that? We were gone for four years from earth. And because of this three year leap we had, Rachel finally is definitely older than me. I thought being the younger twin was hard but now I’m forever and undeniably the youngest of us five.”

Keith loved hearing Lance talk. It wasn’t really what he was saying, just hearing his voice was enough for him. His eyes fell close and he felt how his body grew heavy with tiredness.

“My brother told me he already married his girlfriend at this point.” Lance kept talking, “And my parents flower shop luckily didn’t get that damaged and they can rebuild it pretty fast. Also…”

He looked at Keith. He was leaned back, eyes closed and lips only slightly parted.

“Keith?” he asked in a low voice, “You already fell asleep again? You really must be worn out. Poor guy.” He gave Keith’s hand a gentle squeeze and stood up, “Sleep well. I’ll come back later.”

As he walked towards the door, it opened and a nurse stepped in.

“Mr McClain, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“Just visited my friend.” he said, “He just fell asleep.”

The nurse smiled and looked back at the sleeping man, “Thank you, Sir. You return to your room now?”

Lance nodded and left.

 

~~~oOo~~~

 

Once again Keith sat in the hospital ward of the IGF-Atlas. In moments like this one, he wished to have the healing pods from the castle back.

The doctor patched up a wound on his arm and had another look at the four small scars on his belly.

“Your wounds heal quite good,” the doctor complimented, “but you have to be more careful in the future. This is the third time you return from a mission with injuries and the battle with the robeast lies only six weeks back.”

“I can handle this, Dr Collins.” Keith replied, “I can’t change the fact that I have to protect my team.”

“They can protect themselves, I presume.” the doctor said, “Interestingly enough I never have any of the other paladins here.”

Keith didn’t respond to that when suddenly the door was more or less kicked open and Lance stepped in.

“Keith!” he shouted, “Why didn’t you tell me you’re hurt when I asked you earlier?”

Keith, sitting on the examining couch, blushed out of discomfort with the situation and looked immediately away from Lance.

“It’s nothing serious.” he growled.

“Keith, lying to us is not fair!” Lance replied.

Before any of them could say something else, Doctor Collins jumped into the conversation, “I would prefer no fighting in my ward! Mr Kogane, we’re done, I wish to not see you again here within the next month.”

The doctor threw Keith his shirt in the face and pushed him and Lance outside. The door closed behind them and the doctor’s secretary asked them to leave the ward.

Outside the ward their conversation continued.

“What was it?” Lance asked, “The shot you caught for me or the knife-attack from that pirate?”

“The shot.” Keith muttered and walked off.

Lance turned to him, just to see his back. “What the hell? Don’t just run away after dropping a bomb like that!”

“I’m not running.” Keith replied, “I’m just walking.”

Lance stalked after him. “Listen! Stop getting yourself in danger just to protect me. Or at least tell me when you’re hurt, so I can take care of you!”

Keith stopped and said loudly, “I said I wouldn’t make you worry about me anymore.”

“But I do worry!” Lance shouted, “And I feel like you’re not trusting me when I’m the last to know about your injuries.” He turned down his volume, “You are not trusting me, that’s it, isn’t it?”

“No.” Keith denied, “I trust you. I trust you with my life. I… just don’t want you to worry.”

“You’re failing miserably.” Lance hissed.

Keith growled and turned away again, “Then just leave me alone, would you?”

He marched away leaving Lance behind. The younger man didn’t know what he was supposed to feel. He was angry that Keith never talked to him, but also hurt because of the same reason. Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to talk to Keith anymore in this moment, he turned the opposite direction and walked off.

 

~~~oOo~~~

 

Lance was sitting at the kitchen island and watched Hunk baking cookies.

“You’re not getting a cookie, you know.” said Hunk, “Even when you keep staring at me for another ten minutes.”

“This is not why I’m here.” Lance replied and sunk down onto the table, “I have a problem.”

“So?” Hunk asked, “What is it? I’m sure I can help you.”

Lance gave out a small moan and said, “You know how I crush on Allura? How I think she’s beautiful and feel butterflies in my stomach and so on?”

“Yes,” his friend answered, “heard that record like a thousand times. So what’s the problem here? Is Allura suddenly dating someone? Or do you finally want to ask her out?”

“It’s not about her.” Lance continued, “But lately… I… feel the same way for Keith.”

Hunk almost dropped his bowl of dough hearing the black paladins name out of his friend’s mouth in this context.

“Keith?” he repeated, “Our Keith? The loner, the leader? This Keith?”

“Yes.”

“You crush on Keith?!” Hunk couldn’t believe it.

He had to repress a laughter but it was easy to see how amused he was.

“This is not funny.” Lance said in a whiny voice, “I really am in trouble here! I don’t know what to do.”

Hunk cleared his throat and asked, while putting the cookie dough onto the baking sheet he had prepared. “Well, when have you even realized these feelings? Was it during Bob’s game show? You were pretty gay for him back then.”

“We decided to never ever again talk about this game show.” Lance put first, “And no. It wasn’t during the show. I think it was… when Veronica told me that Keith had been in a coma. I was so… angry that no one told me and I was so worried about him. After all, we are friends. Good friends.”

“In case this helps, no one told me about Keith’s condition at first either.” Hunk said, “I heard about it only after he was awake again. Shiro told me, they didn’t want any of us to worry about him too much.”

It was a cold comfort to hear that he hadn’t been the only one in the dark about Keith’s condition but it didn’t change the fact that Keith still held back impotent stuff about himself.

“What should I do?” he moaned, “I’m always quick with words towards girls because I usually don’t know them or care about them at first, but… Keith is something else. I knew him for years and he never… seemed to like me back before Voltron happened. He didn’t even remember me from the Garrison.”

“That’s why you made up this rival story, didn’t you?” Hunk asked.

“He was cool.” Lance murmured, “A genius in the simulation, good grades and he was close to Shiro. Non the less he was almost always alone, didn’t talk to any of us and ignored me and the team, whenever we had training or I wanted to talk to him. He was a real jerk.”

Hunk frowned, “You do remember we were in the same class and I was there with you? It was always me listen to your crying about Keith.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Lance growled, “I thought it was easier to hate him. I wonder… how anything would have gone if I told him back then I did remember the bonding moment after the attack on the castle.”

Hunk pushed his baking sheet into the oven and looked back at his friend in surprise. “You remember? Why haven’t you said a thing in… well, one and a half years?”

“I don’t know.” Lance admitted, “Back then I really wished it would have been Allura holding me, or even you for that matter. I don’t know. I still couldn’t stand Keith back then. Now I think it was a mistake.”

Hunk didn’t deny his friends words and instead asked, “Why don’t you just confess to him?”

“So he can laugh at me?!” Lance shouted, “No! Never! I don’t have the slightest chance. There are so many girls here, eyeing him and adoring him. He just has to pick one. He’s the black paladin after all.”

Hunk leaned on the counter, “Yeeeaah, I don’t think so.”

Confused, Lance looked up.

“You know,” Hunk kept talking, “Matt told me, Rolo told him Keith was flirting with him when we helped them fixing their ship with which they stole the blue lion afterwards.”

“Keith? Flirting with Rolo?” Lance asked and Hunk nodded. “Really?”

The big man shrugged, “I don’t know. I didn’t pay attention to him then. I was way to distrustful of Rolo and Nyma. Pidge was in love with that small robot and you just tried to impress Nyma. I just tell you what I heard.”

Lance frowned and muttered, “But Keith flirting to Rolo… how does Keith even flirt? I have no idea how this is supposed to look.”

“According to Rolo, it was small smiles and compliments as well as an open, easily approachable body language.” Hunk answered. “And yes. It means Keith is gay.”

Suddenly Lance remembered Keith doing this small gestures so often towards him. How did he never notice? He always thought, this due to their growing friendship. But thinking about it… He realized that Keith seemed to express his feelings over his rather discreet body language and less with big gestures and words like he did.

“That means I have a chance!” He said and immediately shook his head and took it back, “What am I even talking about? Why should I even want to date Keith? He’s an egoist and a loner. He doesn’t want to be close to us, otherwise he wouldn’t hide his injuries from us. Animals do that, so they don’t appear weak. Why doesn’t he understand that we worry even more when we find out about it later? I don’t want him to catch any shots for me! Does he think I’m weak? We’re weak? No! I can take care of myself. I could even take care of him if he just let me!” Lance gushed. Hunk wanted to say something but Lance just kept talking, so he stayed quiet, “Is he not trusting me? No, he is trusting me, he told me. But he never gives me a chance to show it. How am I supposed to trust him? I mean, I do but I… I really doubt his decisions at times.” Hunk again wanted to say something but without success. “I just want to prove to him that I’m not a child. That I earned his trust. I want him to rely on me. Is he even relying on me?”

Lance had become more and more melancholic with every word up to this point. But now his mood switched again.

He slammed his fist on the counter and shouted, “As his right hand man, he has to rely on me if he wants it or not! And me having strong feelings towards him is not bad in general! It means I care about him and don’t want to lose him. He already left me once, I won’t allow him to leave me again! Next time we fight, I will protect him and if he gets hurt I won’t let him lie to me again!”

Hunk checked his cookies in the oven and just listened to Lance’s gushing.

“Hunk!” the other man said for the second time that moment, “I asked you what to do!”

The yellow paladin turned around and looked at his friend, “What? You’re talking to me again? I thought I was no longer part of that conversation of yours.”

“Didn’t you listen to me?”

“I did.” he replied, “I just wasn’t able to say anything.”

“So what should I do?” Lance asked again.

“Well, I really don’t like to repeat myself” Hunk said, “but try to confess to him.”

Lance put his head back down onto the counter and sighed with a moan. “What if I ruin our friendship that way?”

“You won’t.” Hunk assured him, “You’re handsome, no doubt about it. Just be a little confident in yourself.”

“This won’t change anything if he doesn’t have feelings for me.” Lance muttered, “I’m just afraid that he could reject me, or laugh at me. We have to work together after all. I can’t just quit, even tho I always wanted to return to earth.”

Hunk sighed and reached for a pile of cookies he had baked a little earlier today and gave one to his friend.

“I don’t want a cookie now.” Lance muttered.

Hunk didn’t take it away and just kept holding it in front of Lance, until he finally took it with a breathed “Thank you”.

“When you always give me sweets when I’m depressed, I’m going to gain a lot of weight in the future.” Lance said sarcastically.

Hunk chuckled. “Come on, that’s not true.” His gaze turned behind Lance to the door, “But if you want to talk to an expert, try to talk to Ryan.”

Lance turned around and saw the tall MFE-pilot Ryan Kinkade.

“I’m not talking to him even if he is gay.” Lance hissed.

Ryan sat down on the chair next to Lance, “Hey, what is about me?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, Lance just has a gay crush and doesn’t know how to handle it.” Hunk said.

“Hunk!” Lance shouted embarrassed.

He didn’t want anyone to know about this. Luckily Ryan didn’t laugh about him.

He just chuckled and said, “Wow. Sometimes I forget that you are just cadets about our age. It’s really easy to forget that considering you’re like hero’s in the whole universe.”

“I’m leaving.” Lance said and stood up.

As he walked towards the door he heard Hunk calling and turned around one last time, “Lance, wait.” Hunk through him a small box and said, “Could you bring these to Keith for me? I’m a little busy here and tell him he doesn’t has to get shot to get some of my cookies.”

“Why me?” Lance asked.

“I’m busy.” Hunk repeated, “And I need Ryan here in the kitchen.”

Lance sighed and walked away with the box of cookies.

After he was gone, Ryan asked, “What can I help you with?”

“Naa… nothing actually.” Hunk admitted, “I just wanted him to go to Keith. But we could make another sheet of cookies if you want? I think I have another apron somewhere here.”

“I would love too.” Ryan agreed.

 

~~~oOo~~~

 

Lance stopped in front of Keith’s cabin door. He had looked for the black paladin anywhere else already. First he had been at the gym, where he usually was at this time, but no one had seen him. Similar everywhere else, where he had looked. His cabin was the last possible room for Keith to be.

Lance pressed the bell button and quickly got a response, “Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Lance.” he answered.

“What do you want?” Keith asked in a cold way.

Lance sighed and really wished Hunk would have sent someone else. “Hunk asked me to bring you some cookies.”

His mind already circled around Keith again. And only around Keith. Around any little gesture that could have been a sign of affection. Every gesture that had shown a certain weakness within Keith. Anything that was usually only noticed when paid attention to. And there had been so much. Their talk after Shiro had disappeared for example, in which Keith was open at first but closed up in the middle of it, only to open up again in the end when he had told him to leave the math to Pidge.

“Come in.” Keith said through the speaker and the door opened.

Lance entered the room and saw Keith sitting on the bed and reading a book.

“You’re reading?” he asked.

“Obviously.” Keith replied, without looking up.

“Aren’t you usually at training at this time?” Lance asked another question.

“My stomach hurt so I thought it would be better not to train today.” Keith explained.

Lance got a little angry again. Once more, Keith had held back information about his state of health.

“I wonder why that is.” he muttered.

“Probably because a pirate punched me in the guts earlier.” Keith stated dryly, while still not looking up from his book. “Any other unnecessary comments about my well-being?”

“No.” Lance answered, “Here.”

He dropped the box with cookies onto Keith’s lap and the black haired man looked up in surprise. He hadn’t noticed Lance stepping this close.

“Thanks.” he said and finally put the book away.

“And Hunk says, you don’t have to get wounded first to get his cookies. You can just ask him.” delivered Lance his friend’s message.

With a small, gentle smile Keith looked at the box and said, “Hunk should really stop baking these for me all the time. They make me sad and I’m going to gain weight someday because of them.”  
Lance pricked his ear, “Sad? Why?”

Keith looked up at him. His face was soft, the small smile still on his lips, but a hint of sadness was to see in his eyes. The way he sat there was inviting Lance in to sit down himself and listen. Now that he knew about the way Keith communicated his feelings, it was much easier for Lance to react the right way. So he sat slowly down on the edge of the bed.

“When I was still a child, my dad used to bake chocolate cookies that tasted almost the same as these do.” Keith explained, “When I eat them I remember the time we had. And I remember him and miss him and I feel lonely even when Mom is around or any of my other friends.”

“How… how did your dad die?” Lance asked cautiously.

“He was a firefighter.” Keith told him without hesitation but his voice was throaty, “Everyone told him not to run back into this building but he did anyway.”

“He died in a fire?”

“No.” Keith slowly shook his head, “He walked in to save a pregnant woman who had fallen and sprained her ankle. He gave her his respirator and got her outside. But he inhaled too much smoke and got smoke poisoning. He died because of the poisoning in the hospital a couple of days later. I think it was because he had been sick before.”  
“That’s… rough.” Lance said, “Very sad, I’m sorry. How old have you been?”

“Eight.” he answered, “We had celebrated my birthday only three weeks earlier.”

He sniffed and let out a breath, a sad smile on the lips, “Sorry for pulling you down. I… didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine.” Lance said and put a hand down on Keith’s knee, “Thanks for telling me.”

Keith looked up from the box in his hands and their eyes met in a moment that felt like forever. The world seemed to have stopped moving. Until Keith looked away. His face had changed, as far as Lance noticed. The sadness was gone, but the smile had stayed and Lance could swear Keith’s cheeks were a little pinker than before.

“Well, is there anything else you want to say?” Keith asked and took a cookie out of the box, without looking.

“Erm…” Lance stuttered, “I… guess not.” He stood up and wanted to go.

But he hesitated. This more or less was the perfect moment for a love confession, wasn’t it? They were alone, had just shared an intimate moment and the moment felt somewhat right.

“You want a cookie before you go?” Keith asked.

“Er… yeah sure.” Lance answered, stepped a little closer and reached into the small box.

“I’m glad you’re here with me.” Keith suddenly said, “I mean, out here in space as my right hand man and my friend. I know how much you missed your family on earth. But that somehow makes me even happier to have you here.”

Lance smiled, “Well, I couldn’t just quit and leave the team alone with you, mullet.”

Keith laughed. It was a beautiful laugh, so honest and free from any negative emotions. Lance thought he never had heard something as beautiful as this before. He felt how he blushed and panicked. Keith couldn’t see him like this. Quickly, he said bye and hurried outside the cabin. His heart beat so fast, he worried it would break out of his chest. He had ruined his chances. No, he hadn’t. He could just walk back in there and tell him. Just thinking about this possibility made him blush harder and his knees started shaking. _I better wait for another day._ , he thought, leaning against the wall. Suddenly, he remembered the cookie he was still holding. The small chocolate chips had left stains on his fingers. He eat the cookie and licked his fingers clean afterwards.

“There’s always another chance.” he muttered before walking away.

 

~~~oOo~~~

 

Keith nibbled on his cookies, still smiling. Lance had lightened his mood and made up for the fight earlier. Keith felt this warmth inside of him again. It was the feeling he always had when being with Lance or his mother. It was the same feeling he had felt in his childhood when he had been with his father. The warm feeling of love and comfort. He had missed this warmth so long after his dad had died. No one had been able to give him this feeling, not even Shiro, though he had grown close to him and loved him like a brother. He felt comfortable around him, but it wasn’t the same feeling.

Thinking about it, it was strange that Lance out of all people was the one to make him feel this way again.

“I’ll tell him.” he muttered smiling, “Someday. Then I say: Lance, I love you. And he will laugh at me and call me stupid, because he loves Allura and other girls.”

He had made his peace with Lance the straight guy a long time ago. Not even once during the two years in the abyss he had seen Lance and himself together in a pose that could have imply anything more than friendship.

His smile didn’t vanish even during his sad words. He would never tell Lance and he knew it. He valued their friendship too much. He put a hand down on the bandage on his right upper arm where he had gotten hit. It didn’t hurt and wasn’t overly dramatic. But he had caught this shot for Lance.

How could he ever allow himself to let this beautiful man get hurt?

He started humming a song while nibbling on his cookies and at some point sang the lyrics with a cracking voice, “I'm weak, and what's wrong with that? Boy, oh boy I love ya when I fall for that. Can't wait to fall again.”

 

~~~oOo~~~

 

Lance opened his eyes to the gray ceiling of the hospital ward. It was dark in the room and warm. He tried to remember how he could have ended up here and he remembered. They had been fighting with a group of pirates again, who had attacked a small Bulmera and he had fought. And he had seen how someone had shot at Keith’s back and he had jumped in and caught the hit.

Then there only were blurred pictures in his head and pain echoing through his body. He had seen Keith holding him. This was the second time he had seen him with so much sorrow in the eyes. The second time Keith had held him and called for help. But it was the first time he had seen him cry.

“ _Somebody help me!_ ” Keith’s cry echoed through his head. “ _Lance!_ ”

“Keith…” he muttered and slowly tried to sit up.

He was thirsty and usually there was a bottle of water beside the hospital beds. Pushing his tired body up was painful. He still felt the impact of the shot on his chest and he just wanted to collapse back into the pillows and fall asleep again. His family wasn’t here. They couldn’t comfort him this time. Only Veronica was on board of the IGF-Atlas. After he was finally able to sit up he noticed two tight bands around his wrists, controlling his health stats and a person sitting on a chair next to the bed, body bend over, resting on the bed and sleeping tightly, fingers clawed into the fabric of the blanket.

“Keith?” Lance muttered disbelieving.

Was he still dreaming? He reached out with his hand and put it down on Keith’s head, who laid just next to his hip. It wasn’t a dream. He gently run his fingers through Keith’s hair time and time again. It was so soft and reminded him of cat. Or Kosmo. The wolf had a soft and silky fur as well.

Suddenly Keith gave out a sleepy groan and he opened his eyes with this long black lashes.

“Lance?” he breathed and tired eyes met Lance’s.

It was dark in the room, but not completely. Anything had a shade of gray and the two men saw each other quite clear.

Realizing that Lance was awake, Keith pushed his torso off the bed to look at him.

“You’re awake!” he breathed, “Are you alright? You were out for hours. The doc said you were lucky. The armor saved you from most of the damage. Are you alright?”

Lance slowly pulled his hand back, which still floated in the air between them after Keith had pulled back his head.

“I think…” Lance answered, “Sorry if I woke you up. I just was surprised to see you here.”

“And how are you feeling?” Keith asked quietly.

“Everything hurts.” Lance admitted, “But I have felt worse before. I’m thirsty tho. Why are you even here?”

Keith reached for a bottle of water, opened it and gave it to him. It was already half empty.

“I was thirsty too, I hope you don’t mind.” he muttered.

“Not at all.” Lance replied, lifted the bottle to his lips and emptied it in one go.

Lifting his arm and keeping it up was painful and a strenuous effort. His muscles were tired and didn’t want to move. As he lowered the empty bottle he felt much better and looked back at Keith. His dark eyes seemed to shine in the dark.

Lance repeated his question and this time Keith answered, “I… was worried. I thought I could lose you. You brought yourself in unnecessary danger!”

“You do that all the time for me.” Lance replied with a broken voice.

“I don’t.” Keith said, “I always watch out not to get hurt. Block the attacks with my Bayard or shield. It’s rare that I mess up and get hurt. But you just jumped in. I was so worried.” His voice cracked as if he would start crying again any moment.

Keith’s heart felt like it was squeezed by the memory of Lance’s scream. He couldn’t lose the person who gave him this warmth. But Lance had been shot because of him.

He really wanted to cry with happiness for seeing Lance awake again, but like so many times before he didn’t allow himself to just let go of his feelings and he buried them once more. His head dropped forward and he clawed in his jacket. _Don’t cry!_ , he told himself.

Lance stared at Keith trying to figure out what his bodylanguage was saying. Or in this case trying to hide. Undeniable Keith was in pain, emotional pain and he tried to comprehend strong feelings. Or something in that direction.

“Keith…” Lance breathed and reached out for Keith.

As his cold fingers gently touched Keith’s hot, red cheeks, the other man lifted his head again. When he didn’t draw back from the touch, Lance put his whole hand on his cheek, his palm gently cupping the chin.

“Keith, I’m alright.” Lance said.

Keith lifted his hand and grabbed Lance’s wrist. He lightly squeezed it and closed his eyes. For the second time on this day tears streamed down his face.

“Keith, there is something I wanted to tell you for a while now.” he muttered and thought how he could best possibly confess.

Confused, Keith blinked his tears away and looked at Lance waiting for what would come. But nothing came.

“Lance?” he asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

Lance let his hand sink down, but Keith held it up, refusing to let go of it.

Lance’s mind had gone blank. He couldn’t tell Keith. He would laugh at him and leave. Everything they had would crumble. He could lose one of his best friends. The fear whipped away all the courage he might have had.

Keith looked into the empty eyes of his friend and heavy rocks piled up on his heart one by one. After who-knows-how-long he at least let go of Lance’s hand and put it down on the bed.

“You don’t have to.” he said quietly and stood up, “Well, you’re fine, so I can go home now. Good night.”

When Lance saw him leave, his mind finally started working again, “No, wait, please!”

He leaned forward and tried desperately to reach him. It was like a miracle when he was able to grab the sleeve of Keith’s jacket and actually hold on to it.

“Wait.” he said again, “I… I am afraid. Afraid of ruining everything. But… b-but… I think I… no, I’m sure I love you.”

Having spoken this words out loud Lance felt like the whole world would collapse onto him any second now. All the scenarios he had thought about could come true now. He lowered his head and stared at his hand.

“Please, don’t leave me alone,” he said under his breath, unable to make a louder sound.

He didn’t even had the courage to look up, but he didn’t let go of the sleeve either. The weight on the mattress shifted when Keith put a knee onto it and leaned over to Lance, placing his hands onto both sides of the younger man. For Lance the kiss was a big surprise, considering his behavior just some moments ago. But he welcomed it.

As they parted again after a few seconds, they stayed close together, the foreheads put together. Lance heard Keith gulping and his heavy breathing. He had put down his hip onto the bed. Lance was unable to say anything. It was like he had forgotten how to form words.

“I love you, too.” Keith whispered against Lance’s half closed lips, “That’s why I always wanted to protect you. And why I also tried to keep you at bay. You always give me the feeling of family, even when you mock me.”

“You remember Bob’s game show?” Lance asked, “Why did you really choose me?”

This was a question keeping him busy for almost two months now, ever since Hunk made him remember the show. He wanted an answer now.

“Because of the reasons I just told you.” Keith answered, “I tried to keep you at bay, because I couldn’t stand the thought of being stuck with you for all eternity, with you being out of my reach. I wanted you to be free, to live a happy life and to return home to your family.”

“Would you have ever told me how you felt all this time?” Lance asked, even though he could guess the answer already.

After an endless feeling silence Keith answered, “No. I didn’t want to ruin what we had. I had already accepted that you were far out of my reach.”

Lance felt how tears filled his eyes and he started to shiver. He let go of Keith’s sleeve and looped his arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. The tears ran down his face.

 

~~~oOo~~~

 

The next morning a young nurse entered the room of the red paladin on her morning routine. She wanted to check the machines and the health status of the young man. Also she would wake up the black paladin and sent him to have breakfast in the cafeteria. At some point he had to leave his friends side one way or another.

When she entered the room she was a little surprised. Last night her colleague had told the black paladin, he could sleep on the couch but instead the man sat on a chair his torso resting on the bed and he held hands with his friend.

Slowly, she came closer and held her tablet to the machine the patient was connected to. All the information from last night appeared on her tablet and she was surprised to see that apparently the patient had been awake for about an hour last night. During this time his data was crazy. His heart rate had been gone up to extreme heights at some point before returning to normal.

A little curious, she turned to the black paladin and put a hand down on his shoulder. “Mr Kogane, excuse me. It’s time to wake up.”

With a small groan he awoke and muttered, “Lance?”

“Mr Kogane,” she said again, “good morning.”

He slowly sat up and looked out of sleepy eyes to the nurse. “Good morning. What time is it?”

“It’s 07.30 hours, Sir,” she answered, “you should get to the cafeteria and catch a breakfast. My colleague told me you had no dinner yesterday.”

Keith’s gaze wandered back to Lance, “I want to stay until he’s awake.”

The nurse sighed but smiled and nodded. “Alright. I’ll come back later with something to eat and with the doctor.”

“Thank you.”

The nurse left the room again and Keith was once more alone with Lance. He looked at the beautiful, sleeping face and smiled.

“ _I’m sure I love you._ ” he still heard his voice.

“I love you, too.” he muttered and hummed, “Boy, oh boy I love ya when I fall for that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe there have questions appeared by now about this series of mine. Just put it in the comments ^^


End file.
